August update

We received a hand-me-down camera so I'm back in the business of taking pictures!

Our flowers have been beautiful this year!

We fixed this jar of our flowers for a sweet lady

at church in celebration of her 82nd birthday.

I love all the fresh produce this time of year.

We picked peaches at a farm in North East.

Our house smelled of sweet peaches for 2 weeks!

We ate a ton fresh, made multiple peach cobblers,

and canned 25qts for winter enjoyment.

We were also blessed at the end of the month with pears from a neighbor

which are also getting canned for winter eating!

Grace is interested in a career caring for animals.

So we visited Tamarack Wildlife Rescue to see what

this direction would be like.

So when we got Polly and Anna (our ducks) in the spring,

we had no idea if we got boys or girls as ducks come unsexed.

But one day early August, Grace found an egg in their coop 

in the morning ...and a couple weeks later, 2 eggs.

So we have 2 girl ducks.

The ducks eggs were the size of chicken eggs at

first but are now huge!

(left egg is from a couple weeks into laying)

(right egg is one of the first ones laid)

Then the littles started joining the egg laying party ...

and we are now getting 10 chicken eggs and 2 duck eggs a day.

We weren't sure if the weather was going to cooperate this year 

for the Perseid meteor shower, but we did get to sleep

out under the "shooting stars".

We packed a picnic, swimming gear and boogie boards heading out to

Camp Judson's beach for a fun time in 2-3ft waves!

We spent an afternoon at an outdoor archery range

with Matt and the kids shooting!

READY or NOT ...my kids are growing up!

Not only did Nathan work at MMR for 8 weeks this summer,

he got his driver's learning permit, applied to colleges,

learned to shave and is starting his senior year of high school.

We started our last year of school with both kids at home.

(must admit ...mixed emotions here!)

Matt started back to school for his 11th year of teaching at Cathedral Prep

and 24th overall.  But he had a rough start as he was in a car accident

on his way home the second day.

I'm SO THANKFUL that nobody was hurt, but our car is totaled.

So it has been a rough couple weeks and I'm a bit of a mess at times.

But God is with us and our faith is in Him!

The song Firm Foundation by Cody Carnes has been the cry of my heart!

"He's (God) faithful through generations ...

so why would He fail now? ...HE WON'T!"

"Rain came ...winds blew ...my house was built on You...

I'm safe with You ...I'm going to make it through!"

CHRIST IS OUR FIRM FOUNDATION!

adventures in July

Our 18 year old camera is not so happy with me lately

so I don't have very many pictures to share ...

The honeybees in one hive made a comb on the inside of the box

instead of on a frame so it had to be popped out.

We got the treat of fresh honey in the comb!

Oh my!

Local farms had a hard time with strawberries this year

and only had a limited amount to sell at their stands.

We had resigned ourselves to not being able to pick strawberries this year

when the farm we go to opened their u-pick field July 3rd.

We are so blessed by God's faithfulness to us!

We put strawberries in the freezer, in our mouths and into jam!

During a short break from MMR and visit home for Nathan,

we spent the day biking a new-to-us trail, Sandy Creek Trail, 

with a tunnel and several bridges followed by a special treat 

of dinner at Deet's Sugarhouse.

On July 23rd, our church celebrated our first Sunday

officially as Galloway Church of Franklin.

We have disaffiliated from the United Methodist church.

We are so blessed by our church family and

to be part of a church that is standing strong on the truth

of God's Word not being pulled along by the culture.

Grace got to join Nathan at MMR for a week as a rancher.

She had a great time and hopes to volunteer next summer.

She played hard coming home with many bruises and scrapes

to prove it, practiced vaulting, went on trail rides and

learned more about being a light for Jesus.

We had won 4 - 1 day passes to Kingdom Bound back

in March from Family Life Radio.

So Matt and I asked friends to join us for a day of water

rides (we passed on the amusement park rides), speakers

and Christian concerts.

It was a long day, but so much fun and a blessing!

 

JUNE update

June was an absolute whirlwind for us ... too much for me!

Nathan worked hard reviewing and took his SATs the first Saturday of the month.

We only had to wait 2 weeks to find out that he did awesome!

We are so proud of him ...and not just for scoring well on the test!

The honeybees arrived!

Can't wait to taste some of that honey!

Nathan is working at Miracle Mountain Ranch this summer

as a Wilderness Counselor. (8 weeks away from home!)

So we packed him up and took him for staff training just 2 days after school ended.

We all miss Nathan, but know God is working in and through him this summer!

Grace has been reading a lot, caring for her animals, and enjoying being an "only child".

She had fun trying new patterns and worked hard making friendship bracelets.

She sold the bracelets at yard sale days to raise money so we can give a blanket for 

Christmas to our ROTOM granny in Uganda.

I'm proud of my girl!

(She has some bracelets left if you'd like to buy one to help her!)

One day, Grace and I went to a friend's house to learn how to make soap.

Check out my lavender soap. Hopefully more to come!

The three of us got to go out on the field with the hot air balloon pilots at the Thurston Classic in Meadville.  One of Matt's coworkers invited us because her dad is a pilot.

He put up his balloon but didn't fly it because the "ok to fly" was given

too close to dusk for his comfort.  But we got to hop in the basket.

meet Chris P. Bacon

We had a week of rainy days and smoky days (from the Canadian wild fires).

So on rain out or bad air quality days, Grace and I did some inside projects.

We decoupaged spring flowers we had pressed to jars making vases.

We filled them with wildflowers and gave them away.

We also made some body products ...

lotion bars, chap stick, and body butter.

Matt and I have been taking morning walks except for the week

of rain and bad air quality.  I'm taking time to be in God's word and prayer.

And I'm reading a book for fun.  I need to build in exercise, alone time with Matt, 

time with my Faithful God, and relaxing ...or life gets too much!

Don't forget to make room for the important things in life!